RPFT Spirometry Technique & Maneuver Acceptability Flashcards
6 cards from real RPFT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 RPFT Spirometry Technique & Maneuver Acceptability flashcards as text
What patient instruction is most important immediately before performing a maximal inspiratory maneuver for MIP (PImax) testing?
Answer: Exhale completely to residual volume before inhaling maximally
MIP is measured from residual volume (RV) because lung mechanics at RV provide the greatest mechanical advantage for inspiratory muscles.
A slow vital capacity (SVC) is larger than the FVC in a patient with COPD. What does this finding indicate?
Answer: Air trapping causes dynamic airway collapse during forced exhalation, reducing FVC
In obstructive disease, forced expiration causes dynamic collapse of airways, trapping air and yielding a lower FVC than the more slowly measured SVC.
During a forced vital capacity maneuver, what does a 'notch' or dip on the descending limb of the flow-volume loop suggest?
Answer: Upper airway obstruction or glottic closure during exhalation
A mid-expiratory notch typically indicates variable upper airway obstruction, such as vocal cord dysfunction or tracheal lesion causing intermittent flow interruption.
Which spirometric index is most sensitive for detecting early small airways disease?
Answer: FEF25-75% (mid-maximal expiratory flow)
FEF25-75% reflects flow in the effort-independent portion of exhalation driven by small airway recoil and is the earliest spirometric marker of peripheral airway disease.
An FEV1/FVC ratio of 0.65 in a 68-year-old patient is below the predicted value of 0.74. What is the correct interpretation using ATS/ERS criteria?
Answer: Obstruction is present because the ratio is below the lower limit of normal (LLN)
ATS/ERS guidelines recommend using the LLN (5th percentile of predicted) rather than a fixed 0.70 cutoff to avoid over-diagnosing obstruction in the elderly.
What is the correct sequence of steps for performing a bronchodilator responsiveness test?
Answer: Baseline spirometry → administer bronchodilator → wait 15–20 minutes → repeat spirometry
Post-bronchodilator spirometry should be performed 15–20 minutes after administering a short-acting beta2-agonist to allow peak bronchodilation.
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